make an led necklace without cutting the wire?

[aliasjanedoe]

So I made an LED necklace using an 0603 LED that I soldered to two pieces of guitar string (was cheaper and less likely to kink than wire from hardware store). I stuck a little superglue on this and slid it into the hole of a transparent bead, then I soldered the other ends of the wires to two magnets and used them as a clasp, sticking a watch battery between them.

 

It works great, but the entire weight of the necklace is on that itty bitty solder. I want to do one with more beads, but the solder won't hold. So is there a way to attach the LED without cutting the wire?

 

I saw something like this on an episode of Kyle XY, so I'm attaching a screencap since a picture is worth 1,000 words.

[Kyrisch]

Where did you find a bead like that? I'm interested in doing this myself and am curious.

[aliasjanedoe]

Where did you find a bead like that? I'm interested in doing this myself and am curious.

 

It's called Swarovski or something. Your local bead store should have them. Ask for the 10mm cube (the ones on the show looked like the plain crystal color, but the crystal AB is prettier, adds a bit of rainbow). But be warned, it's very difficult to solder that small. Which brings us back to my original question, because I feel like my necklace is so very fragile that I'm always worrying about breaking it when I wear it. Is a sliced wire and a tiny blip of solder the only way to do this???

[cameron marical]

Electricians tape?

 

Extra solder and then maybe get a plastic coating on there, I know that you can buy waterproof liquid rubber/plastic and it dries on spot and {not to mention waterproof} adds to strength. Though it is black, so you might want to paint the rest of the necklace black along with it, and I think that it might be a little tough to keep it right at the bottom sides of the led and not on any other parts, though I think it could be done.

[Mr Skeptic]

Here's how I would do it (if the requisite parts existed): LED beads with a pair of holes in them exactly the size of your wire. Then they could be slid in with a little force (the wire should be stiff enough). Then a dab of glue to waterproof/hold in place, and some sort of plastic coat for the wire.

 

Additionally, if alternating current were used, a capacitor could be part of each bead and could be used with just one wire (but seems like an ugly solution).

[aliasjanedoe]

I was thinking of filling the holes with a clear epoxy. Although I don't know what kind or where to buy it from. It would need to be injected with a syringe, I think, and most epoxy would just clog that before I was able to fill the hole.

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Additionally, if alternating current were used, a capacitor could be part of each bead and could be used with just one wire (but seems like an ugly solution).

 

You've got me curious, how would an alternating current and capacitor be set up? I'm an LED newbie.

[UC]

I was thinking of filling the holes with a clear epoxy. Although I don't know what kind or where to buy it from. It would need to be injected with a syringe, I think, and most epoxy would just clog that before I was able to fill the hole.

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You've got me curious, how would an alternating current and capacitor be set up? I'm an LED newbie.

 

Go to a craft store and get clear (read the package! make sure the cured product is clear, many turn yellow) relatively quick setting epoxy, which might be referred to as jeweler's epoxy.